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Consumer Products was one of the major topics at this year’s RAPID conference on additive manufacturing. I attended all five presentations and was honored to be one of the speakers presenting on how 3D printing was changing this area of design and manufacture.

How to Create an Industry with 3D Printed Consumer Products

Kyttanen was 100% designer from his insistence on using his own MacbookPro to give a Keynote lecture (We were supposed to only use Windows and PowerPoint.) to his Marilyn Monroe by Warhol Madonna t-shirt.

And it was from a designer’s perspective that he talked about his vision of a new industry completely based on 3D printed consumer products.

He began with his personal design influences growing up and put emphasis on the need to expose kids to 3D printing at an early age.

His slide featuring green army men and a fort made of dog poo illustrated his point that the materials do not have to be sophisticated in order for people, especially children, to be creative with them.

How a Futuristic Environmental Design Idea Became a Reality

The next speaker was Jim Kor, owner of KOR Ecologic and senior designer / leader of the Urbee project.

Those of you that keep up on 3D printing news may remember all the buzz about “the world’s first 3D printed car” — that’s the Urbee.

And it was on display in it’s current stage of development, complete with a 3D printed body.

Kor was a great speaker not just because he was talking about such an awesome project, but also because he seemed like such a great person. I encourage you to watch this recording of his presentation given earlier this year at the State of Green Business Forum in Chicago.

7 Ways to Take Advantage of Additive Fabrication

Hlavin took over Thogus, an injection molding service in Ohio, just as the economic crisis took over the world. As part of his strategy to streamline the company, Hlavin utilized 3D printing — thinking outside the boundaries of rapid prototyping.

It was definitely a presentation for the manufacturing industry, but it was interesting to see all the angles from which Hlavin approached improving the organization. For example, by 3D printing custom holding stations for each workers’ tools, he practically eliminated the time wasted by searching for drill bits and scanners etc.